Breeding biology of the Double-crested Cormorant on Utah Lake

Research on the nesting of the Double - crested Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax auritus auritus ) was undertaken to determine the breeding biology of the bird on Utah Lake, Utah County, and the possible effects that diking Provo Bay would have on the cormorants breeding there. In 1973, two colonies in Provo Bay were visited weekly to determine laying dates, incubation period, clutch size, and hatching dates. Another colony, located on the dike of the Geneva Steel Works Reservoir near Orem, was visited daily during the spring and summer of 1973. At this colony egg-laying occurred from 13 April to 17 May. The average clutch size was 3.8, and the egg length and width averaged 60.50 mm x 39.05 mm. The average period of incubation was 28 days, and 29.5 percent of the eggs hatched, beginning on 20 May and ending on 9 June. The young weighed an average of 36 gm at hatching with a beak length of 17 mm and tarsometatarsal length of 11 mm. These measurements increased to 1543 gm, 73 mm, and 58 mm, respectively, in 23 days. The cormorant population on Utah Lake may be severely reduced by the proposed diking of Provo Bay.     

Revegetation of gopher mounds on aspen range in Utah

The colonization of the pocket - gopher ( Thomomys talpoides ) mounds by annual and perennial species of the understory of aspen woodland was observed over a four - year period. New and old gopher mounds exist as a mosaic of sites in one of three surface conditions: bare, dominated by annuals with a few seedlings of perennials, and dominated by perennials with annuals in peripheral areas. The regular creation of these new sites for plant colonization appears to favor the maintenance of aggressive perennials at high densities in the understory vegetation.     

Breeding ecology of Long-billed Curlews at Great Salt Lake, Utah

We qualified nest site characteristics, breeding densities, and migratory chronology of Long-billed Curlews at the Great Salt Lake, Utah. The species is apparently declining in Utah, and little is known about their breeding in the eastern Great Basin Desert. This study was designed to provide wildlife biologist with the baseline data useful for their successful management. Curlews arrived in northern Utah in late March and generally departed by mid-August. Nest densities at Great Salt Lake ranged from 0.64 to 2.36 males/km 2 . The habitat at curlew nest sites consisted of significantly shorter vegetation than nearby random locations ( ˉx = 5.7 versus 9.0 cm, respectively; P < .01). Nests tended to be located in small patches of vegetation near barren ground. Maintenance of relatively short vegetation appears to be important in managing curlew habitat. In addition, only 2 of 10 nests we monitored in 1992 were successful, with most lost to mammalian predators. Further research is needed to determine impact of mammalian predators on curlew populations.     

Vegetal change on a northern Utah foothill range in the absence of livestock grazing between 1948 and 1982

Reexamination of a semiarid foothill rangeland, first evaluated in 1948, indicated that secondary succession continues to shift toward a perennial grass-forb community formerly dominated by xeric shrubs, particularly big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata spp. vaseyana ). The direct role in livestock grazing in establishment and maintenance of shrub-dominant plant communities appears confirmed in the decline of shrubs upon cessation of livestock grazing in summer and continued browsing by mule deer in winter. The reduction of shrub forages on mule deer winter ranges is a major factor in population declines.     

Evaluating the geographic distribution of plants in Utah from the Atlas of Vascular Plants of Utah

Locations of 73,219 vascular plant vouchers representing 2438 species were digitized from the Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Utah (Albee et al. 1988). Source maps consist of 1:6,000,000-scale shaded relief maps of Utah with points representing collection locations by species. Location points, representing 1 or more specimens, were transposed onto these maps from the approximately 400,000 herbarium records of 3 major universities and federal land management agencies. These source maps were digitized into an ARC/Info TM database in order to reproduce the atlas in digital form. Analysis of all locations revealed a mapping bias of the original authors to avoid placing sample locations on county boundaries and over major river corridors. A comparison between ecoregions and elevation showed that the Colorado Plateau and Wasatch/Uinta Mountains have the highest species diversity, and that areas of low elevation (1000-2000 m) have the highest number of unique species in the state. Further, species richness is related to elevation and to ecoregion boundaries.     

Type specimens of recent mammals in the Utah Museum of Natural History, University of Utah

A detailed list of holotypes of Recent mammals housed in the Utah Museum of Natural History is presented.     

Comparison of vegetation patterns resulting from bulldozing and two-way chaining on a Utah pinyon-juniper big game range

Two adjacent mechanically treated pinyon-juniper ( Pinus spp. and Juniperus spp.) big game winter range sites in central Utah were sampled in 1981 to estimate vegetational differences and tree mortality from the two treatments. One site was treated by selectively bulldozing in 1957 and the other was double chained in 1965. Both treatments significantly reduced tree and litter cover, whereas significant increases were found for native grasses and shrubs compared to a nearby untreated site. Juniper cover for the untreated site was 35.5&#37; compared to only 1.4&#37; for the bulldozed area and 4.1&#37; for the two-way chained area. Browse species densities were increased by the mechanical treatments. The use of different mechanical treatments on separate smaller portions of critical areas of big game winter range would help provide: (1) for both long-term and short-term use of a critical wintering area, (2) greater overall productivity and carrying capacity, and (3) greater diversity by creating more edge effect between the differently treated and untreated areas.     

Ants of Utah

A man bitten on the finger by a wolf spider, Lycosa sp., experienced temporary bleeding and tingling of the finger, but no other symptoms occurred.     

Plant community zonation in response to soil gradients in a saline meadow near Utah Lake, Utah County, Utah

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Patterns of zonation along a saline meadow slope were studied. Different species associations were distributed in five zones along the slope which paralleled Utah Lake. The five zones, distinguished on the basis of dominant species and/or life form, were: saltgrass&ndash;annual weed, saltgrass-alkaligrass, saltgrass-forb, saltgrass, and spikerush. Soil, vegetation, and plant species data were taken. Patterns of change with respect to these factors were observed along the downslope gradient. Soil pH and soluble salts decreased downslope, while organic matter and moisture increased. Individual ions showed varying patterns. Vegetation and species patterns also varied with slope position. Annuals dominated the ridge tops, while sedge and rush cover were restricted to the slope base. Perennial forb distribution was shown to be correlated with elevated levels of micronutrients in the soil.     

First records of the Glacuous-winged Gull in Utah

First occurrences of the Glaucous-winged Gull ( Larus glaucescens ), and hybrids between it and the Western ( L. occidentalis ) and Herring Gull ( L. argentatus ), in Utah are documented. Sightings of 14 individuals over two winters (1984-86) may represent an inland expansion of the winter range of this species.     

Distributional patterns of mammals in Utah

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Based on a synthesis of recent work on distribution of mammals in Utah, the hierarchy of ecogeographic distributional units proposed by Durrant (1952) is reevaluated by numerical methods. Areographic faunal elements, distinguished on the basis of shapes of distributional ranges in North America, are identified. Relationships are shown between ecogeographic faunal units and areographic faunal elements, and their historical implications are discussed.     

Vegetational response to three environmental gradients in the salt playa near Goshen, Utah County, Utah

The plant communities and individual plant species in and around a salt playa near Goshen, Utah County, Utah, were studied in relation to gradients for soluble salts, soil moisture, and pH. Forty-eight stands were sampled. Frequency data were taken for all plant species. Soil samples were collected from each site and analyzed to establish the environmental gradients. Results indicate that the vegetational types respond differentially to the three gradients and can be segregated on the basis of one or more of the gradients. The total soluble salts gradient was found to be the most influential of the three sampled. Correlation analysis indicates that 45 percent of the variation in plant diversity can be accounted for by the three gradients. Distributional patterns of individual plant species are strongly influenced by the three gradients. Niche width measurements exhibited no correlation with the measured gradients.     

Competitive displacement as a factor influencing phytoplankton distribution in Utah Lake, Utah

Phytoplankton studies during the summer of 1974 in Utah Lake, Utah, demonstrated the development of disjunct distributions of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and Ceratium hirundinella. Differential response to environmental factors and competitive displacement are proposed as probable explanations for this phenomenon.     

New records and comprehensive list of the algal taxa of Utah Lake, Utah, USA

Utah Lake is a slightly saline ecosystem containing more than 700 algal taxa. During the past decade a total of 106 algal taxa has been found that has not previously been reported in this water. These new records are reported herein, together with a comprehensive listing of all algal taxa reported from Utah Lake to date. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;     

Pinus longaeva in the Stansbury Mountains, Utah

A new record of Pinus longaeva D. K. Bailey in the Stansbury Mountains, north of the known range of the species, is reported.     

Poisonous plants of Utah

Bird species density, diversity, and species richness in relation to habitat and seasonal variations were studied in the Betatakin Canyon area of Navajo National Monument, Arizona. The two most prominent habitat types are a riparian forest deep in the canyon bottom and a mature pinyon-juniper woodland on the mesas and slopes above the canyon. One hundred thirty-five species of birds were encountered during the study and recorded by season and habitat. The avifauna assemblages demonstrate definite habitat selection into groups associated with the riparian and pinyon-juniper woodland communities. Diversity, density, and species richness were greatest in the riparian habitat during the spring and summer months. The differences in bird community composition were greater between seasons than between habitats. Pinyon pine and Gambel oak were highly selected as perch sites in the pinyon-juniper and riparian areas, respectively.     

Flora of the Orange Cliffs of Utah

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} The vascular flora of the Orange Cliffs area, defined here as part of the Colorado Plateau floristic province, harbors approximately 209 species in 123 genera and 49 families. A species checklist is provided with a discussion of physical and floristic aspects of the region. The flora is compared statistically to the San Rafael Swell flora, which is also a subset of the Colorado Plateau. We define six vegetation types and three edaphic communities; these are described and mapped. Of eleven endemic plant species in the Orange Cliffs, three are local and rare. Sites for Astragalus nidularius, A. moencoppensis, and Xylorhiza glabriuscula var. linearifolia are discussed and mapped.     

New taxa and combinations in the Utah flora

New taxa include: Cryptantha cinerea (Torr.) Cronq. var. arenicola Higgins & Welsh; Physaria chambersii Rollins var. sobolifera Welsh (Cruciferae); Phacelia demissa Gray var. minor N. D. Atwood (Hydrophyllaceae); Iris pariensis Welsh (Iridaceae); Astragalus preussii var. cutleri Barneby and Pediomelum aromaticum (Payson) Welsh var. tuhyi Welsh (Leguminosae); Abronia nana Wats. var. harrisii Welsh (Nyctaginaceae); Camissonia atwoodii Cronq. (Onagraceae); Habenaria zothecina Higgins & Welsh (Orchidaceae); Aqiiilegia formosa Fisch. in DC. var. fosteri Welsh (Ranunculaceae). New nomenclatural combinations include: Rhus aromatica Ait. var. simplicifolia (Greene) Cronq. (Anacardiaceae); Lomatium kingii (Wats.) Cronq., L. kingii var. alpinum (Wats.) Cronq. (Apiaceae); Cryptantha cinerea (Torr.) Cronq. var. laxa (Macbr.) Higgins; Mertensia lanceolata (Pursh) DC. var. nivalis (Wats.) Higgins (Boraginaceae); Opuntia erinacea Engelm. var. aurea (Baxter) Welsh (Cactaceae); Arenaria fendleri Gray var. aculeata (Wats.) Welsh, A. fendleri var. eastwoodiae (Rydb.) Welsh, Lychnis apetala L. var. kingii (Wats.) Welsh, Stellaria longipes Goldie var. monantha (Hulten) Welsh (Caryophyllaceae); Draba densifolia Nutt. ex T. & G. var. apiculata (C. L. Hitchc.) Welsh, D. oligosperma Hook. var. juniperina (Dorn) Welsh, Physaria acutifolia Rydb. var. stylosa (Rollins) Welsh, Thelypodiopsis sagittata (Nutt.) Schulz var. ovalifolia (Rydb.) Welsh (Cruciferae); Lotus plebeius (T. Brandg.) Barneby, Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. in Edwards var. ammophilus (Greene) Barneby, L polyphyllus var. humicola (A. Nels.) Barneby, L. argenteus Pursh var. fulvomaculatus (Payson) Barneby, L. argenteus var. palmeri (Wats.) Barneby, Pediomelum aromaticum (Payson) Welsh, P. epipsilum (Barneby) Welsh, Psoralidium lanceolatum (Pursh) Rydb. var. stenophyllum (Rydb.) Welsh, and P. lanceolatum var. stenostachys (Rydb.) Welsh (Leguminosae); Mirabilis linearis (Pursh) Hiemerl var. decipiens (Standl.) Welsh (Nyctaginaceae); Camissonia boothii var. condensata (Munz) Cronq., C. boothii var. villosa (Wats.) Cronq., C. clavaeformis (Torr. & Frem.) Raven var. purpurascens (Wats.) Cronq., C. scapoidea (T. & G.) var. utahensis (Raven) Welsh, Oenothera caespitosa var. macroglottis (Rydb.) Cronq., Oe. caespitosa var. navajoensis (Wagner, Stockhouse, & Klein) Cronq., Oe. flava (A. Nels.) Garrett var. acutissima (W. L. Wagner) Welsh, and Oe. primiveris Gray var. bufonis (Jones) Cronq. (Onagraceae); Papaver radicatum Rottb. var. pygmaeum (Rydb.) Welsh (Papaveraceae); Dodecatheon pulchellum (Raf.) Merr. var. zionense (Eastw.) Welsh (Primulaceae); Aquilegia flavescens Wats. var. rubicunda (Tidestr.) Welsh, Delphinium andersonii Gray var. scaposum (Greene) Welsh, D. occidentalis (Wats.) Wats. var. barbeyi (Huth) Welsh, and Ranunculus andersonii Gray var. juniperinus (Jones) Welsh (Ranunculaceae); Purshia mexicana (D. Don) Welsh and P. mexicana var. stansburyi (Torr.) Welsh (Rosaceae); Galium mexicanum H.B.K. var. asperrimum (Gray) Higgins & Welsh (Rubiaceae); Castilleja parvula Rydb. var. revealii (N. Holmgren) N. D. Atwood and C. rhexifolia Rydb. var. sulphurea (Rydb.) N. D. Atwood (Scrophulariaceae).